At 30 June 2005, the estimated resident population of NSW was 6.77 million people. This comprised 3.37 million males, an increase of 26,500 since 30 June 2004 and 3.40 million females, an increase of 27,000 since 30 June 2004. The sex ratio of the NSW population was 99.0 males per 100 females.

DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY, NSW, By Statistical Divisions and Sub-Divisions—Population at 30 June 2005

ERP 2005p

Sex Ratio (a)

Median Age

Statistical Division/Sub-Division

Male

Female

Persons

Male

Female

Persons

Sydney

Inner Sydney

160,964

150,733

311,697

106.8

34.9

34.1

34.5

Eastern Suburbs

117,646

122,746

240,392

95.8

35.2

36.3

35.7

St George-Sutherland

218,457

223,773

442,230

97.6

36.3

38.2

37.2

Canterbury-Bankstown

155,448

155,678

311,126

99.9

35.2

36.5

35.9

Fairfield-Liverpool

180,145

177,837

357,982

101.3

33.2

33.8

33.5

Outer South Western Sydney

121,138

121,908

243,046

99.4

31.7

33.2

32.5

Inner Western Sydney

83,937

86,124

170,061

97.5

36.2

38.2

37.2

Central Western Sydney

155,577

152,433

308,010

102.1

34.1

35.1

34.6

Outer Western Sydney

158,303

159,987

318,290

98.9

33.2

34.8

34.1

Blacktown

141,654

141,804

283,458

99.9

31.7

32.7

32.2

Lower Northern Sydney

145,285

153,785

299,070

94.5

35.7

37.8

36.7

Central Northern Sydney

209,683

217,286

426,969

96.5

36.6

38.7

37.7

Northern Beaches

116,738

119,128

235,866

98.0

37.1

39.0

38.0

Gosford-Wyong

149,075

157,622

306,697

94.6

38.3

41.0

39.7

Total Sydney

2,114,050

2,140,844

4,254,894

98.7

34.9

36.3

35.6

Hunter

303,107

307,419

610,526

98.6

37.6

39.6

38.6

Illawarra

206,211

207,957

414,168

99.2

37.8

39.9

38.9

Richmond-Tweed

111,419

114,467

225,886

97.3

40.9

42.4

41.7

Mid-North Coast

145,544

149,600

295,144

97.3

42.3

43.5

42.9

Northern

89,312

89,791

179,103

99.5

37.3

39.1

38.2

North Western

59,996

58,889

118,885

101.9

36.9

37.8

37.3

Central West

90,700

89,364

180,064

101.5

37.0

38.8

37.9

South Eastern

101,784

100,973

202,757

100.8

40.5

41.2

40.8

Murrumbidgee

77,654

76,217

153,871

101.9

35.2

36.9

36.0

Murray

58,130

57,393

115,523

101.3

38.3

39.8

39.1

Far West

11,684

11,744

23,428

99.5

40.9

42.4

41.6

New South Wales

3,369,591

3,404,658

6,774,249

99.0

36.1

37.6

36.8

(a) Males per 100 femalesp PreliminarySource: Population by age and sex, New South Wales – 2005(cat. no. 3235.1.55.001)

In 2005, the proportion of the population in the 20–24, 25–29 and 30–34 year age groups was larger in the Sydney Statistical Division (SD) than for those resident in the balance of the state. Within the Sydney SD males and females aged 25–29 comprised 7.7% and 7.5% of the population respectively, compared with 5.5% and 5.2% for those resident outside of Sydney. In contrast, people over 65 years of age comprised a greater proportion of the population in the balance of NSW than for those resident in the Sydney SD.

POPULATION, SYDNEY SD AND BALANCE OF NSW, By age and sex—30 June 2005

MEDIAN AGE

The median age of the NSW population at 30 June 2005 was 36.8 years (36.1 years for males and 37.6 years for females). This was an increase of 1.3 years for males and 1.4 years for females since 2000, again indicating the ageing of the population.

The population of the Sydney SD had a median age of 35.6 years. Three of Sydney's 43 LGAs had median ages over 40.0 years. These were Ku-ring-gai (A) (41.0 years), Gosford (C) (40.4 years) and Pittwater (40.1 years). The lowest median ages were in the west and south-west metropolitan LGAs of Campbelltown (C) (31.9 years), Blacktown (C) (32.2 years), Penrith (C) (32.3 years), Liverpool (C) (32.3 years) and Camden (A) (32.5 years).

In the balance of NSW the highest median age was in the Mid-North Coast SD (42.9 years), while the Murrumbidgee SD (36.0 years) had the lowest median age. In contrast to Sydney, half of the LGAs in the balance of NSW had median ages at or over 40.0 years. The highest medians were located in the coastal region LGAs of Great Lakes (A) (49.1 years), Eurobodalla (A) (46.9 years), Gloucester (A) (45.4 years), Nambucca (A) (45.1 years) and Hastings (A) (45.1 years). The lowest median ages outside of Sydney were in the north west LGAs of Bourke (A) (31.4 years) and Brewarrina (A) (31.9 years) followed by the regional centres of Armidale Dumaresq (A) (33.1 years) and Wagga Wagga (C) (33.5 years).

SEX RATIO

For NSW in 2005, there were 99.0 males for every 100 females. The 0–4 year age specific sex ratio was 106.1 males per 100 females. Age specific ratios then declined to 101.8 at 25–29 years before stabilising at around 100.0 until the 60–64 year age group. The ratio declined for people in age groups over 65–69 years towards its lowest level of 47.6 for people aged 85 years and over.

For LGAs in the Sydney SD, the highest sex ratios were in Sydney (C) (116.3 males per 100 females) and Auburn (A) (109.5). The harbour-side LGAs of Woollahra (A) (88.2 males per 100 females) and Mosman (A) (89.6) had the lowest sex ratios. Within the remainder of the state, the LGAs with the highest sex ratios were Walgett (A) (124.8 males per 100 females) and Central Darling (A) (124.2). The LGAs of Armidale Dumaresq (A) (93.6 males per 100 females) and Hastings (A) (93.8) had the lowest ratios in non-metropolitan NSW.

MALES PER 100 FEMALES, SYDNEY SD AND BALANCE OF NSW, By Age—30 June 2005

POPULATION AGE GROUPS – NEW SOUTH WALES

With the ongoing ageing of the NSW population, the proportion of children aged 0–14 years (19.5 %) continued to decrease while the proportion of those aged 15–64 years (66.9 %) and older people aged 65 years and over (13.7 %) continued to increase.
PROPORTION IN AGE GROUPS, NSW, By Statistical Divisions—Population at 30 June 2005

Statistical Division

0–14 yrs

15–64 yrs

65 yrs and over

Sydney

19.1

68.7

12.2

Hunter

19.5

64.8

15.6

Illawarra

19.8

64.0

16.2

Richmond-Tweed

19.3

62.9

17.8

Mid-North Coast

19.7

61.2

19.2

Northern

20.9

64.0

15.1

North Western

22.5

63.5

14.0

Central West

20.9

64.3

14.8

South Eastern

19.8

64.4

15.8

Murrumbidgee

21.7

64.3

14.1

Murray

20.4

63.7

15.9

Far West

19.7

62.2

18.1

New South Wales

19.5

66.9

13.7

Source: Population by age and sex, New South Wales – 2005(cat. no. 3235.1.55.001)

CHILDREN – AGED 0–14 YEARS

At 30 June 2005, there were 1.32 million children aged 0–14 years in NSW, a decrease of 4,700 children during the last 12 months. Children in this age group comprised 19.5% of the state's population. The North Western SD had the highest proportion of children at 22.5% (26,800 children) followed by the Murrumbidgee SD at 21.7% (33,300 children). The Sydney SD had the lowest proportion of children at 19.1% (813,200 children) followed by the Richmond-Tweed SD at 19.3% (43,500 children).

The highest proportions of children in the Sydney SD were located in the west and south-west metropolitan LGAs of Camden (A) (25.4%), Liverpool (24.3%) and Blacktown (C) (23.9%). The lowest proportions were located in the inner city LGAs of Sydney (C) (8.5%), North Sydney (A) (10.0%) and Leichhardt (A) (13.2%). For LGAs in the balance of the state, the highest proportions of children were located in the north western regional centres of Bourke (A) (27.2%), Brewarrina (A) (25.7%), Coonamble (A) (24.6%) and Cobar (24.2%), while the lowest proportions were in Great Lakes (A) on the north coast (16.3%), Newcastle (C) (16.8%) and Bombala (A) in the snowy region (17.0%).

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 0–14 YEARS, NSW by Statistical Divisions—30 June 2005

WORKING AGE POPULATION – AGED 15–64 YEARS

Over two-thirds of the NSW population (66.9% or 4.53 million people) were of working age (15–64 years) at 30 June 2005, an increase of 39,300 people since June 2004. The Sydney SD at 68.7% (2.92 million people) was the only statistical division in NSW to have a proportion higher than that of the state. The lowest proportions were recorded in the Mid-North Coast SD at 61.2% (180,500 people) and Far West SD at 62.2% (14,600 people).

All but eight of Sydney's 43 LGAs had proportions of working age residents at or above that of the state. Four inner city LGAs – Sydney (C) (82.1%), North Sydney (A) (78.2%), Leichhardt (A) (77.1%) and Marrickville (A) (75.2%) – recorded over three-quarters of their population in this age group. The lowest proportions were in the central coast LGAs of Wyong (A) (61.0%) and Gosford (C) (62.6%).

Only 11 of the 110 non-metropolitan LGAs in NSW had proportions of working age people at or above the state level. The highest proportion was in the Snowy River (A) LGA (69.6%) followed by the regional centres of Queanbeyan (C) (69.4%), Armidale Dumaresq (68.9%) and the coastal LGA of Byron (A) (68.8%). The lowest proportions were in the Great Lakes (A) (57.5%), Wellington (A) (58.5%) Hastings (A) (59.0%) and Gloucester (A) (59.0%) LGAs.

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 15–64 YEARS, NSW by Statistical Divisions—30 June 2005

OLDER PEOPLE – AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER

In the 12 months to 30 June 2005, the population of older people (aged 65 years and over) increased by 18,800 to around 926,100 people. Older people represent 13.7% of the NSW population. At the SD level, the highest proportions of older people were in the Mid-North Coast SD at 19.2% (56,600 people), Far West SD at 18.1% (4,200 people) and Richmond-Tweed SD at 17.8% (40,300 people). The Sydney SD at 12.2% (519,900 people) was the only SD to have a proportion of older people lower than the state as a whole.

Within the Sydney SD, the central coast LGAs of Wyong (A) (17.9%) and Gosford (C) (17.8%) had the highest proportions of older people followed by the northern metropolitan LGAs of Hunter's Hill (A) (16.5%) and Ku-ring-gai (A) (16.2%). The five LGAs with the lowest proportions were all located in the west and south west parts of the Sydney SD. These were Campbelltown (C) (7.3%), Penrith (C) (7.7%), Liverpool (C) (8.0%), Blacktown (C) (8.1%) and Camden (A) (8.2%).

Reflecting its older age structure, around 68% of the 110 LGAs in the balance of NSW had proportions of older people at or above that of the state. The six highest proportions were in the coastal and hinterland LGAs of Great Lakes (A) (26.3%), Gloucester (A) (22.8%), Hastings (A) (22.7%), Eurobodalla (A) (22.6%), Tweed (A) (22.1%) and Nambucca (A) (21.7%). The lowest proportions were in the regional centres of Queanbeyan (C) (9.3%), Bourke (A) (9.4%) and Brewarrina (9.4%).

PROPORTION OF POPULATION AGED 65 YEARS AND OVER, NSW by Statistical Divisions—30 June 2005